Washington (CNN) - When it comes to the White House, the term "Madam President" has become more of a possibility in recent years, but one group wants to make sure it becomes reality-and soon.

EMILY's List, a political organization that works to get Democratic women elected to public office, kicked off a new campaign Thursday to further drive home the idea that the country is ready for a woman president.Follow @politicaltickerFollow @KilloughCNN

The campaign will target voters in 2016 battleground states and hold events in Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire in the coming months. The group says it will also use what it describes as "significant, sustained" advertising to get out its message.

Women, they argue, are better positioned than ever in the political class. The Senate now has a record number of women-16 Democrats and four Republicans. And for the first time, one state (New Hampshire) has an entire delegation made of women, including the governorship, U.S. senators and members of the House.

It's no secret that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is considered the Democratic Party's leading contender for the presidential nomination, should she decided to run in 2016. A new Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday indicates 65% of Democrats and Democratic leaners would support the former first lady and senator from New York.

But EMILY's List organizers want to make clear they're not laying the foundation for one particular candidate.

"There's a great pipeline of women right now who should be thinking about what their options are," Stephanie Schriock, the group's president, told CNN at the campaign unveiling in Washington.
Schriock mentioned a number of other high-profile women with potential for the nation's highest elected office. Those names include Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, former Washington state Gov. Christine Gregoire, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who also served as the state's governor.

In addition to other candidates the group is supporting in gubernatorial and congressional campaigns, Schriock said the women "we elect next year are our bench for the presidency for 2020, 2024, 2028. This is a constant movement and a campaign that isn't just about one election."

But looking at the near future, EMILY's List commissioned the Democratic polling firm Anzalone Liszt Grove Research for a survey that -not surprisingly-found that women are on voters' radar for 2016 as well. In the survey of 800 likely 2016 voters across nine battleground states, they found 90 percent of voters said they would consider voting for a qualified woman candidate from their party, and 86% said the country is ready to elect a woman president.

According to the EMILY's List poll, a strong majority of voters expect to see a woman in the Oval Office soon. Nearly three-fourths voters said they believe the country will elect a woman president in 2016.

Voters acknowledge that it's more difficult for a woman to win the presidency, but said she'd be perceived as capable or more capable than a male president when it comes to ending partisan bickering and juggling work-life balance, according to the group's data. Male presidents, on the other hand, had higher numbers on issues of national security, getting the economy moving and working with allies around the world.

The group's survey asked about particular candidates, but they did not release that information Thursday. However, they urged other national polling groups to start including more women besides Clinton in their questionnaires.

"They truth is, this is a wide open race if the secretary chooses not to do this," Schriock said.
Of the potential 2016 contenders, Clinton has some of the biggest support efforts behind her. The super PAC, "Ready for Hillary", has already been on the move and getting grassroots support in place in case she throws her hat in the ring.

Schriock stressed she won't reveal any discussions she has or hasn't had with potential candidates. Her group is not working directly with "Ready for Hillary," but she said she's "thrilled" that they're out there working to support a woman who could run for president.

"Just like everybody else, we're all reading the same things (about Clinton's potential bid) and I think when she makes a decision, we'll know what it is," she said.

soundoff(48 Responses)

Might as well. Can't be any worse than the lacky community organizer we have sucking up our tax dollars.

May 2, 2013 02:39 pm at 2:39 pm |

Woman In California

@ Wilson

No need to do that. I also agree with you on gay marriage. Unlike some in my party, I am not going to go against my beliefs just to stay "in" with my party.

May 2, 2013 02:42 pm at 2:42 pm |

McRCN

When you think about it, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Obama were virtually unknown before they won their nominations. Democrats will likely select someone other than Hillary, especially since she was passed over last time around.

May 2, 2013 02:58 pm at 2:58 pm |

Lynn

Go Sarah!

May 2, 2013 02:59 pm at 2:59 pm |

MTATL67

I say this as a 45 year old male, women of America you country needs you. It is time the women of this country step up and take the leadership roles they have earned. Not just the presidency but local, state and Congressional.

May 2, 2013 03:13 pm at 3:13 pm |

rosethornne

Women are more sensible, reasonable, and practical than men, in general.

So of course the big-money political backers will spend spend spend against the idea of having a woman in charge.

We can also expect to see a lot of Westboro-type droolers go on and on and on about destroying the 'natural order' of things.

May 2, 2013 03:21 pm at 3:21 pm |

Larry in Houston

Hillary is the name

May 2, 2013 03:22 pm at 3:22 pm |

sassysticks53

Go Hillary! Although, frankly, I'd take anyone but the GOP!

May 2, 2013 03:28 pm at 3:28 pm |

Guy

CNN has already ordained Hillary Clinton as the next president.

May 2, 2013 03:31 pm at 3:31 pm |

sassysticks53

Face the facts people. Women belong in the home raising the children and keeping their husbands happy.
Time for you godless liberals to read the bible. God made women to serve men not men to serve women.

Cannot do worse than this inept fake and liar.
Oh, yeah. Hildy is a fake and a liar ....big one in Benghazi.

May 2, 2013 03:33 pm at 3:33 pm |

JustAO

What will all the adulterers, domestic violence, drug addicts, and money laundering nominees going to do if women are taken seriously as our President in this country? Don't get me started on wealthy tax welfare cheats, wallstreet gamblers, and unrelatable to minorities voter nominees. Without these types of men running for office, we have less controversy to talk about during election cycles.

May 2, 2013 03:34 pm at 3:34 pm |

PJ

@Dominican mama 4 Obama"

From earlier: You are right – my apologies to all.

May 2, 2013 03:38 pm at 3:38 pm |

Homer Simpson

Say it with me guest, madame president, hillary rhodam clinton, has a nice ring does it not?

May 2, 2013 03:52 pm at 3:52 pm |

Sniffit

"Women are more sensible, reasonable, and practical than men, in general."

That statement proves itself wrong. Generalizations and stereotypes are not sensible, reasonable or practical.

May 2, 2013 04:04 pm at 4:04 pm |

Sniffit

"MPOTUS"

Yawn. It's POTUS. Period. We don't stick an M on it for males even though there's a "mister" before it either. I'll be first in line to vote for Hillary, but there is indeed a threshold at which, once crossed, things start to become parodies of themselves. Enough already.

May 2, 2013 04:05 pm at 4:05 pm |

Data Driven

It's overdue for a woman to be in the White House, but I'm weary of the de facto blood-aristocracy we've seen in the past 40 years. A DIFFERENT woman, please. Preferably dovish on America's imperial possibilities, while we're at it (unlike Ms. Clinton).

We're barely past 100 days of Obama's second term and have 3 1/2 years to go... Is the country suffering through buyers' remorse?

What about Biden?

May 2, 2013 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

Peoples State of Illinois

"MPOTUS"

Yawn. It's POS. Period. For any socialist occupier of the white house.

May 2, 2013 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

ezduzit757

I am all for a woman as president – UNLESS that woman's name is Sarah – then I'd have to shoot myself.

May 2, 2013 04:41 pm at 4:41 pm |

Namer

Woman is not ready to be president. Mainly because women are too sensitive and too fragile. Woman president can be too quick in making a decision because that's how women are programmed.

May 2, 2013 04:59 pm at 4:59 pm |

Sniffit

Was Obama "BPOTUS" then? How come the MSM didn't latch onto that and try to use it as a selling point for their sensationalized reporting on his first election? Or hey, can we start just hyphenating them all...maybe we'll have Hispani-POTUS soon given the demographic shifts...and with all the obeisance to Israel and what-not, how come nobody's ever been the first Jew-POTUS yet? Is the MSM going to drop a deuce in its collective proverbial undies over how to acronym Bill Clinton's role as First Gentleman? OMG IT CAN'T BE PRONOUNCED...EVERYBODY PANIC!?!?!

POTUS IS POTUS. Quite frankly, trying to give it a new and different acronym for female POTUS strikes me as setting it up for being treated as unequal and perpetuating the perception of it being different and unequal. I'm not really usually one to get irritated by this kind of thing, but come the fark on...really?